Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Optional caesareans carry higher risks, BU study finds

Caesarean sections performed without a medical reason result in longer hospital stays, higher costs and more than twice as many rehospitalizations as vaginal deliveries, according to a study by researchers at Boston University's School of Public Health published in the March issue of Obstetrics and Gynecology.

"There are trade-offs in having an elective caesarean," Eugene R. Declercq, the study’s lead author, told the New York Times. "Among them are longer recovery time and a higher chance of being rehospitalized, which shouldn’t be surprising — it’s major surgery."